Don't Drink Your Coffee First Thing in the Morning?
Coffee: one of the world's most popular beverages, a pick-me-up, a source of comfort and warmth, a symbol of energy and focus, a tool for social interaction. Global consumption adds up to billions of cups per day, and an estimated 75 percent of the United States population drinks the beverage. Its appeal crosses cultures, ages, and lifestyles and has made coffee a central part of many people’s daily routines.
In this episode, Matt and Nick dissect the debate circulating among internet influencers around whether there is an optimal time to consume caffeine in the morning. They discuss individual sensitivity to caffeine, potential negative feedback loops of excessive caffeine consumption, and their own coffee consumption protocols. They also review a 2005 study on how caffeine affects cortisol levels.
Check out the links below for further information and/or reading about some of the things we discussed in this podcast episode. Note that we do not necessarily endorse or agree with the content of these readings, but present them as supplementary material that may deepen your understanding of the topic after you listen to our podcast. This list is in no way exhaustive, but it’s a good start!
This 2005 study has formed part of the evidence used in the influencer community to discuss certain coffee drinking practices. Researchers investigated the effects of different coffee doses on the cortisol levels of 98 healthy adults. They found that regular coffee consumption blunted the increased cortisol secretion that results from caffeine consumption.
Is Andrew Huberman Ruining Your Morning Coffee?
Nick mentions this video by James Hoffmann, who creates content about coffee, in the podcast episode. James discusses a recommendation by podcaster Andrew Huberman to avoid drinking coffee immediately upon waking up in order to prevent a caffeine crash in the early or late afternoon. He conducts and goes through the results of a 30-day randomized experiment comparing the effects of drinking coffee that contains caffeine versus coffee that doesn't contain caffeine within 30 minutes of waking up.
The Coffee Cortisol Connection...1 Thing Not To Do When Drinking Coffee | Dr. Mandell
This is one of many videos on the internet recommending that people avoid drinking coffee first thing in the morning. Chiropractor Alan Mandell argues that drinking coffee immediately upon waking up further elevates our naturally higher morning cortisol levels and contributes to a drop in energy levels later in the day.
Drink Coffee Right When You Wake Up (why experts have been wrong)
Thomas DeLauer, a nutrition and business performance coach, presents another view of the issue. He argues that cortisol spikes do not actually change based on timing of coffee consumption, and also discusses the potential effects of the naturally-occurring compound adenosine on the effects of timed coffee consumption. He raises a different reason one might want to wait till later in the day to drink coffee.
Coffee is popular: around 75 percent of the United States population aged 20 and above drink coffee, and nearly half drink coffee every day. This paper reports demographic and lifestyle differences in coffee consumption. Men, older people, non-Hispanic whites, smokers, and daily alcohol consumers consume more coffee than other demographic groups.
